


The Bond Will Never Be Broken

by MinSuga1993



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: China line will be the death of me, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, I don't know how to use commas, Long-Distance Friendship, M/M, Mingyu is Hao's bff, Mutual Pining, We all need a Jun, and so is Jun, but i tried, i guess, it's really cute, this honestly sucks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 12:00:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13926714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinSuga1993/pseuds/MinSuga1993
Summary: They didn’t apply a label on what they were: for now, all they cared about was knowing that, the boy on each side of the screen was there for the other. Nothing changed in their relationship and both of them were fine with that.That was, at least, until Junhui fucked up.





	The Bond Will Never Be Broken

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for any mistake, English is not my first language.  
> Enjoy the reading.

Scrolling through the Tweets mentioning one of his favourite artists' new dance cover, Minghao didn’t fail to notice a post written in Chinese. The user, under the name _WenJun96_ , was complaining about the lack of Chinese in the comments. Now, even if Minghao was no more living in China, he felt the need to let this person know that, he too was a fellow Chinese fan.

 

A replay brought them to a direct message, which took them to sharing phone numbers and, lastly, Skype accounts. That was how, Minghao found out the person behind the screen was called Junhui, lived in China and was a year older than him. Almost six months into that weird friendship of theirs, both Minghao and Junhui could easily say they clicked right away: it was so normal for them to text whenever they had their phones at reach, Skype as soon as they got home, or even in the middle of the night if they felt like it.

 

Minghao had never been one to make friends easily, too often his shyness and lack of knowledge of the new language were mistaken for rudeness. It was a complete shock for him to realise that, he couldn’t even remember how it used to be without Junhui in his life. Every time he shyly voiced that thought to the older, it seemed like he felt the same thing. Time went by, and the two of them didn’t skip a day without calling, Skyping or at least texting each other. It was well known that they considered as each other's best friends but slowly, day by day, the line between friendship and something more got blurred.

 

The thought of a possible _something else_ with Junhui both scared and excited Minghao. That line was finally erased when the younger, with all the courage he could master, decided it was time to make a move. After several sleepless nights, filled with _what ifs,_ Minghao realised that their friendship was too strong to be ruined by a crush. They were mature enough to deal with it, if Junhui didn’t reciprocate Minghao ’s feelings. Every negative thought was swept away from his mind, the moment Junhui confessed that, he too felt the same way about him.

 

They didn’t apply a label on what they were: for now, all they cared about was knowing that, the boy on each side of the screen was there for the other. Nothing changed in their relationship and both of them where fine with it.

 

That was, at least, until Junhui fucked up.

 

It was a cold night in Seoul and Minghao, face-timing is almost-boyfriend, was getting ready to jump under the covers of his warm bed, realising, maybe too late, that on the other side of the screen, there was an unusual silence. Comfortable in his bed, with his laptop safe on his legs, Minghao addressed the fact.

 

“Hey, what’s wrong? You’re being weird” he asked, the familiarity of the Chinese words rolling easily on his tongue. Since the first time they skyped, one of the things Minghao loved the most, was being able to use his native language, without having to stop and think about grammar rules or particles, like he had to do when speaking Korean. 

 

The pause on the other side was heavy and, if Minghao had thought he was just overreacting, he knew now that something was really off with Junhui. The latter looked almost scared to talk and, the guilt in his eyes, made something stir in Minghao’s stomach. 

 

“I went on a date with someone” Junhui confessed after what felt like hours. Minghao was sure someone had thrown a cold bucket of water at him because, all he was able to feel, was coldness.

 

“What do you mean you went on a date?” Minghao asked slowly, trying to understand what was going on. 

 

For the first time in his life, he wished he wasn’t able to understand Chinese as well as he did, because maybe, because of it, what he had heard was just a misunderstanding. But it wasn’t.

 

“A guy asked me out yesterday and I accepted. I just got home from the restaurant we went to" the older explained. He wasn’t looking at the screen at all and Minghao couldn’t understand if he was afraid of his reaction, or just guilty for leading him on.

 

Minghao wasn’t one to get angry and yell. When he was actually angry, his eyes would turn stone cold and is voice emotionless. He didn’t scream or make a fuss, he stayed calm thinking it over maturely.

 

“So, you're basically telling me that you convinced me my feelings for you were mutual, while in reality, you were planning to go out with someone else?" Minghao asked rhetorically but not really. It didn’t make sense at all and, above all, he didn’t even know how to react to the whole situation. Was he supposed to be sad? Maybe angry? He couldn’t feel anything.

 

“That’s not it. It - it’s just that he was there. I know I said I have feelings for you, but I could actually meet him and hang out with him” Junhui said, moving his hands frenetically, tripping over his own words to explain himself.

 

“So, since we can’t meet in person, you’re not even giving it a shot? That’s the whole point, isn’t it? It has always been” Minghao replied, finally understanding how wrong he had been, thinking that their friendship could have survived over everything, when it had been crashing in front of his own eyes all along, because of the distance between them.

 

“I’m so sorry, Hao” Junhui said, confirming his fears. He hoped that, using the nickname he loved so much, would have helped calming the boy’s anger down but, the only thing Junhui was met with, was a cold and empty stare.

 

“You know what? You’re right. I don’t even know why I’m reacting like this. We’ve never been a thing. You can do whatever you like with your life, I shouldn’t care” Minghao finished, feeling everything but okay.

 

Of course he cared for God’s sake. How could he not when, the boy he liked, felt so much pity for him to lie about his own feelings. Junhui was about to open his mouth, ready to say something more, maybe try to save what he knew had already got lost, but Minghao wasn’t done yet.

 

“And, next time, have the guts to reject a guy before going out with another one” he said, his voice steady as if he wasn’t affected at all. Anything like Junhui who, was already starting again, with excuses Minghao didn’t even care to listen to.

 

“I’m not rejecting you -” Junhui was rambling, not even knowing what to say more.

 

“Save it” Minghao interrupted and, for the first time since the start of the long call, his voice cracked, making Junhui understand, how much he was hurting behind that strong, stone cold facade of his. 

 

“I need some time now. I will text you later” Minghao finished and, not waiting for the other to reply, or to try to stop him, he ended the call, feeling like his whole body was about to collapse, from both exhaustion and sadness.

 

He fell in a dreamless sleep, waking up the next morning, tired as he hadn’t slept even a minute.

 

“ _I will text you later”_ he said. That moment never came.

 

…..........................................................

 

Two weeks has passed since that moment and Junhui had tried calling, texting and Skyping Minghao, without getting any answer from the younger. Maybe it was petty for him to ignore Junhui like that, but he wanted to make him understand how much he had hurt him.

 

The only positive side was that, not living with his eyes fixed on a cell phone or a computer, Minghao had found a way to make new friends. They were just a group of guys, who were always seen laughing and hanging out together, that for some weird reason, wanted to know the boy who was always eating alone at the cafeteria. He didn’t complain though. He liked them and, was happy to know, that he wasn’t the only foreign in the group they liked to tease.

 

They were also curious about Minghao's other friends, since it didn’t seem like he had any around school. For a moment, he wondered if it was worth mentioning Junhui as his friend, but then he realised that, maybe, they weren't what people called  _friends_ any more. Funny how, a best friend can turn from one, to nothing more than a stranger. Even if Minghao pretended like he was totally fine and, above all, able to easily ignore Junhui, it took all his might, to not open the texts the older sent or answer his phone calls. He wanted to make a point and, throwing it all away just to read a text, wasn’t worth it.

 

It all came to a stop when, one day, his friend Mingyu, who was hanging out at his place, asked him if he could play some video games on his phone. Minghao, without a doubt, threw it gently at him, returning shortly after to the essays opened on his laptop.

 

“Hey, Hao” Mingyu said after a few minutes, shifting from his position on the bed. Minghao hummed to let him know he was listening.

 

“A notification appeared and I tapped it by accident” his friend started, his voice slow, almost like he was focused on something else. Minghao didn’t seem to think much of it, not realising that, there was a high probability for the notification to be something private.

 

“Why is this guy spamming you with texts?” Mingyu asked worried about Minghao being harassed by this person.

 

“And why did he send you the picture from Hansol’s Facebook of you kissing that girl the other day at the party? Is he a stalker?” Mingyu guessed, sitting up from his lying position on the bed, demanding for an answer.

 

Meanwhile, Minghao realised his mistake. It wasn’t like he wanted to keep Junhui hidden from his friends, it was just that, he himself, didn’t know where he stood with the older.

 

“No, he is not” Minghao began, knowing he couldn’t step back any more. The story started and, to Minghao's happiness, Mingyu didn't seem to find it weird at all.

 

“So he basically cheated on?” Mingyu asked at the end of the story. He didn’t like this Junhui at all.

 

“That’s not it. I mean, it is, but not exactly. We confessed, or at least I did, but we didn’t decide anything. We weren't dating” Minghao tried to reason. He was still bitter about it because, it felt like he had been cheated on for real, but he couldn’t do much any more.

 

“And you’ve been avoiding him for the past week?” Mingyu asked rhetorically. He had understood, he just wanted to avoid misunderstanding something.

 

“Well yes, I mean, I haven’t read his texts or answered his phone calls since we had that argument” Minghao explained.

 

“Still, what’s the picture about?” Mingyu carefully asked passing the device to Minghao so he could see the picture himself. The younger frowned, his ears red with anger, and Mingyu understood that maybe, he should have been more careful with Minghao’s phone.

 

“He wants to know why I was kissing her, like he has any right to know” Minghao said, blood boiling in his veins.

 

“What are you going to reply?” the boy from the bed asked.

 

“I don’t know, I just texted _I was at a party_ ” Minghao said getting up and sitting on the bed next to Mingyu. He did it to let the boy see the conversation, without having to read everything out loud. He realised a moment too late, it was useless since everything was written in Chinese anyway.

 

“You’re blaming me and then you go kiss a random girl?” was Junhui answer and Minghao almost lost it. Mingyu had to wrap an arm around his shoulders to stop him from throwing his phone against the wall.

 

“I texted _are you really comparing the two things_ ” Minghao explained knowing Mingyu was half curious and half worried to know. After all, it was the first time anyone, aside from Junhui himself, had seen the younger show his emotions so openly, sharing his personal life. He was used to keeping everything for himself and dealing with it alone. 

 

A sound from his phone took him back to reality.

 

“He says _answer_. What  does that even mean? I’m-” he asked confused but, a weird tone, suddenly came from the laptop on his desk. It had been so long since they last skyped that Minghao almost didn’t recognise the sound of the video call.

 

“It’s him. What do I do?” he asked panicked, wondering if it was best for him to ignore it, like he had done for the past weeks, or maybe finally face the problem.

 

“Go get him tiger” Mingyu said pushing him off the bed, towards the desk, not moving from his spot. 

 

Minghao took a deep breath and, sitting on the chair in front of the laptop, pressed the _accept_ button. In a few seconds, Junhui ’s face appeared on the screen,, right in front of him. It was almost surreal to be back there, face to face, after two weeks of radio silence from one of the two parts.

 

“Hey” Junhui carefully greeted in Chinese, breaking that dense but not exactly uncomfortable silence. Minghao greeted back, still not warming up to the older.

 

Mingyu, still on the bed, was quite impressed at how easily Minghao could hide his emotions behind that mask of his, since just minutes before he had been a wreck.

 

The silence was once again interrupted, but that time by Mingyu himself that, moving a bit, was able to see the screen as well.

 

“Damn, he’s hot” he said, not as quietly as he meant to, because Minghao answered him with a “you’re not helping _”_ in Korean, turning around to glare at his friend.

 

“Who's that?” the boy from the screen asked in Chinese, staring at a point right behind Minghao’s back.

 

“Just a friend of mine” Minghao quickly said, thanking god Mingyu wasn’t able to understand their language.

 

“A friend? You’ve never talked about him with me before” Junhui replied sceptically, a weird tone in his voice, almost as if he was upset about something.

 

“Yeah well, I met him and the other guys weeks ago. What? Am I not allowed to have friends either?” Minghao sarcastically asked and, even if the language wasn’t his own, even Mingyu was able to feel the change in atmosphere.

 

“You know I didn’t mean that” Junhui said, trying to maintain his composure.

 

“Do I? Because it seems like I don’t know a lot of things” Minghao answered back. 

 

The occasion to face the problem had come and it was useless to waste time in sugar-coating it.

 

Junhui seemed bothered by something behind Minghao and, he realised, he was still glaring at Mingyu.

 

“Does he have to be there?” Junhui asked, completely ignoring Minghao's question.

 

“He’s Korean, he doesn’t know Chinese, he can’t understand us” he said, not understanding why Mingyu was such a big problem.

 

Junhui stayed silent, this time watching Minghao straight in the eyes. Scoffing but giving up, he fully turned to Mingyu who was listening to the exchange with a confused expression.

 

“He's being difficult. Do you mind waiting for me in the living room? It won’t take long” Minghao asked politely in Korean. Mingyu stood up and, with a smile and a ruffle to his hair, went out of the room, giving some privacy to the two Chinese boys.

 

“I don’t like him” Junhui said shortly, his voice full of venom and something weirdly similar to jealousy.

 

“Well, I do. I don’t like the guy you went out with, the world is unfair. Now, why did you call?” Minghao asked briefly and Junhui was taken a back from the rudeness of it all.

 

“Why were you kissing that girl back there?” Junhui asked, straight to the point.

 

“Was I not supposed to? I went to a party with my friends, got drunk, danced a lot and made out twice as much” Minghao explained. He didn’t want to sound petty any more but, he really couldn’t stand how, Junhui was asking about things that weren't his business to begin with.

 

“You got mad at me because I went on a date with someone else, you completely ignored me for two weeks just to drunkly kiss other people?” Junhui said not angry but mostly surprised. He didn’t see that coming.

 

“You went on a date after confessing feelings you didn’t even have. I just kissed people I will never see again in my life. You rejected me Junhui, after giving me false hopes, so I don’t think you’re supposed to have anything to say about it” Minghao let out in one breath, throwing out what was there to be said from the very start.

 

“I’ve never said I don’t have feelings for you” Junhui began, his voice sounded almost pleading “It’s just that - I got scared okay? I like you Minghao, but we’re hundreds of miles away. I didn’t know how to deal with it” the order finally confessed the words he wanted to say weeks ago but never found the courage to. Now after two weeks without his best friend, the most important person in his life after his parents, he realised he had to give up and face his insecurities and Minghao himself.

 

This time, it seemed like it was Minghao the one taken a back.

 

“You could have told me” Minghao responded, his voice sad, not even trying to hide it any more “You could have told me just that, being honest. I would have been hurt anyway but at least I would have known the reason behind it. I would have tried to understand you, Junhui” Minghao said, his eyes were watery and so were Junhui’s.

 

“I’m so sorry, I really am. I was scared and I screwed everything up” Junhui tried again, he too not knowing what was the point any more.

 

“It’s too late now. I accept your apologies, but I’m not going to try to be something you’re clearly not really for” Minghao said, struggling to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall from his eyes.

 

“What does that mean?” Junhui said desperately. It couldn’t end like that. Months of friendship lost over his stupid insecurities.

 

“I still want to be your friend. I don’t even know if I’m able to live without you in my life, to be honest” Minghao explained, eyes sad as ever but a light spark was there as well.

 

“Thank you, Hao” Junhui said but, the tense atmosphere was still there, and the older knew that it wasn’t over yet.

 

“But” Minghao continued, breaking the silence Junhui was so sure, didn’t carry anything good.

 

“I’m not willing to risk our friendship again, because of a distance we can’t fight” Minghao said finally, blinking away the tears in his eyes. He wanted to be with Junhui, but he wasn’t even able to picture destroying what they already had, because one of them wasn’t ready to give everything to a possible relationship.

 

Junhui was a wreck just as much as he was, but reluctantly accepted, knowing that, if he didn’t, nothing better would have happened. The video call ended with both boys crying over a closed laptop.

 

Minghao stood up on shaking legs, deciding to end the day as soon as possible and I went to the living room. His parents weren't home but Mingyu was still there, lying on the couch, waiting impatiently for his friend to come back. His hopes were crashed the moment is saw Minghao’s red puffy eyes.

 

“I need some ice cream” Minghao said, his voice cracking. He walked to the kitchen, coming back with a can of ice cream and two tablespoons. Going straight to the sofa, Minghao set down heavily, staring for a moment into nothing.

 

Mingyu opened his arms, a silent invite for comfort. Minghao didn’t hesitate and hugged his friend tightly, letting the warm embrace wash away his sadness.

 

It didn’t work out that well.

 

…..........................................................

 

It got better from then on.

 

It wasn’t as it used to be between Minghao and Junhui, but both of them tried, with all their strength, to work it out. The texts increased and so did the late video calls. However, the atmosphere wasn’t the same any more and, it was clear that both of them avoided talking about anything dating-related. Minghao was still bothered about why, Junhui’s behaviour changed every time he mentioned his friends, above all Mingyu.

 

Everything used to be so simple and easy between them, that Minghao couldn’t help but feel sad every time he thought about their friendship. He still had Junhui by his side, that was true, but it just wasn’t the same any more. It was almost like there friendship had become something superficial. Ever since that day, there had been a wall between them and, anything just a bit more serious than small talk, couldn’t go over that barrier.

 

Minghao thought it was meant to be like that but, one day, Junhui himself, ignoring that thin line they had drawn, addressed the problem.

 

“I miss what we had” he said over a text and Minghao was so surprised by the sudden change of topic, he didn’t know how to replay.

 

He left the text on read and went home. As soon as he was comfortable enough, he got his laptop and pressed the video call button beside Junhui’s name. The older answered almost immediately, like he had been waiting just for that.

 

“I miss what we had” Junhui repeated, this time watching carefully for a reaction.

 

Minghao had had time to think about it but he still didn’t know where this conversation was going to take them.

 

“We already talked about this, Jun” Minghao whispered, his voice soft, too afraid to fall back in a fight they already had.

 

“No, we didn’t. We decided it would have been better to stay friends, but neither of us agreed this was what it meant” Junhui said, his voice wasn't angry at all, but there was a determination behind it, that made Minghao understand they weren't going to drop the conversation until they found a solution.

 

“It’s almost as if you don’t trust me any more” Junhui said, tiredness washing over his face.

 

“I do trust you, Jun” Minghao began, not knowing how to explain what he really wanted to say “I’m scared of ruining everything because of something we decided it was better to let go” he tried.

 

“Minghao, I like you and you know that, just as I know you like me too” Junhui said and Minghao nodded, flustered at hearing the open confession for the first time “but I don’t want us to let go of the friendship we had, just because we’re not ready for a relationship” he continued, his voice clear and determined.

 

“Yes, you are right. I didn’t mean to ignore you, I’m sorry” Minghao said exhausted. The conversation wasn’t easy to have even if neither of them was shouting.

 

“Would it help if I came there?” Junhui suddenly asked, realising something still unknown to Minghao. The latter snapped his head up, watching carefully the screen, trying to understand if Junhui was joking but the serious look on his face said otherwise.

 

“What are you talking about? Minghao asked, totally confused.

 

“If I managed to come to Korea, would it be easier to sort what’s going on out?” Junhui explained, a smile forming on his lips as if he already knew the answer.

 

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep” Minghao scolded, not seeing the point in the whole conversation.

 

Junhui was about 900 kilometres away and, it was hardly possible for him to jump on a plane and come all the way to Korea, just to meet him.

 

“Who said I can’t keep them?” Junhui teased, a wide grin spreading on his face and Minghao realised that maybe, Junhui wasn’t exactly joking like he had thought.

 

That night, Minghao fell asleep with a text from Junhui saying “ _sleep HaoHao, see you soon_ ”.

 

…..........................................................

 

For the days to follow, the topic was dropped and Minghao, a little bitterly, guessed that Junhui had simply realised how crazy his idea was and preferred to let it be forgotten before hurting him again.

 

At least, that’s what he was so sure happened, until Junhui managed to surprise him once again.

 

It was a windy day, when Minghao and Mingyu were walking back home from school. Mingyu lived two blocks away, in the same direction of Minghao's house, so every day, they went home together, enjoying the freedom. Mingyu was the first one to reach his home and he and Minghao parted ways, with a promise to hang out the next day.

 

When Minghao was close enough to see the building of his house, he noticed a young boy sitting on the stairs outside the building. It was hard to identify the person, since he was still quite down the road, but Minghao was sure he wasn’t supposed to wait for anyone. It must have been something pretty important, if the person was waiting in the cold for him, or anyone, to come home.

 

Minghao shrugged, walking in the direction of said person, until a few metres away from the house, he suddenly stopped. Minghao’s whole being was torn between running away as fast and far as possible, or crying from happiness. 

 

There, on the doorstep of Minghao’s apartment, was none other than Wen Junhui himself. At first, Minghao was sure he was hallucinating or something. It was not possible that Junhui had managed to travel all the way from China, just to meet him. Then, something hit Minghao hard, making him almost tear up.

 

“ _see you soon_ ” he had texted weeks back and, while Minghao was accusing him of having forgotten about it, Junhui was doing his best to come to him, in a foreign and unknown country where he didn’t know anyone.

 

Junhui, realising someone stopped just a couple of steps in front of him, moved his eyes from the screen of the phone in his hands and focused and said person. It was almost comical how wide his eyes got and how fast and ungracefully he got up from the stairs, trying to not lose his balance.

 

“Junhui” Minghao simply whispered and his voice said more than any word could ever say.

 

“Hello” Junhui said going down the stairs, right in front of Minghao. His voice sounded so much better without the robotic noise of a phone or a video call.

 

Minghao was still sceptical, happy of course, but so overwhelmed, he couldn’t even say a single word to him. He had so many questions he wanted to ask, but in that moment, his instinct took the lead and, forgetting about every doubt he had, he threw his whole body at Junhui hugging him tightly. Junhui, taken aback by the sudden gesture and the weight on him, stumbled backwards, wrapping his arms around the other’s waist in order not to fall.

 

Minghao didn’t care, he just pulled his body closer, burring his head in the crook of Junhui’s neck, feeling so happy. Junhui did the same and was so glad to know that, even if things had changed between them, Minghao was as happy to see him as he was. They both would have stayed there forever if they could, but a cold breeze broke through and, both of them shivered at the same time. With a chuckle, Minghao reluctantly pulled away from Junhui’s warm body.

 

“Come on, it’s freezing out here” Minghao said, pointing to the door, an invite for Junhui to follow him inside.

 

Once they reached Minghao’s warm and welcoming house, the atmosphere between them changed. It wasn’t uncomfortable, it had never been between them but Junhui moved awkwardly around the house following the younger like a lost puppy. Minghao was trying to contain himself from asking all the questions swimming in his head, offering Junhui a cup of hot chocolate, after letting him drop his backpack in his room.

 

Half an hour later, they were sitting on the sofa in the living room, hot cups in their hands and the sound of a film in the background. It was now or never.

 

“Your parents aren't home?” Junhui asked, an easy question he already knew the answer of, but he didn’t really know how to start a conversation otherwise.

 

It was so different to be face-to-face, to hear each other’s voices so clearly and to be able to see the others' reactions so quickly.

 

“My mum will come home in a couple of hours and my dad is in Europe for work right now” Minghao explained, glad Junhui had made the first step. Another silence came, but this time Minghao wasn’t willing to make it last any longer.

 

“How did you even know where to find me?” he asked the first question, his body was now completely turned to Junhui, his legs crossed on the couch, waiting for the older to explain step by step, how he even managed to do something as crazy as that was.

 

“I might have asked Mingyu your address” Junhui answered embarrassed, scratching the back of his neck.

 

“That asshole didn’t say anything to me” Minghao said, both angry and flattered at his friend and Junhui’s gesture.

 

“Of course he didn’t. I specifically asked him to keep quiet about it. I wanted this to be a surprise” Junhui further explained, the blush high on his cheeks.

 

“It was indeed” Minghao commented, a wide smile on his lips, which made Junhui's heart beat just that bit faster. Minghao's smile, without a screen between them, was so heart-warming, Junhui was tempted to hug him again, just because he could.

 

Then, Minghao realised something and a surprised expression appeared on his face, almost as if he couldn’t believe the boy in front of him.

 

“Wait” he started “Mingyu doesn’t understand Chinese, how did you manage to talk to him?” he finally asked.

 

Junhui was hoping Minghao hadn't noticed that small detail. When he did, the blush on his face turned even brighter but, a proud glint flickered in his eyes as well.

 

“I’m not saying I know Korean” Junhui started, already enjoying the way Minghao's mouth formed an “ _o”_ for the surprise “but I’ve been kinda learning some basics for a while. You know, just in case this day would have come” Junhui finished and, he would have paid for being able to take a picture of Minghao in that moment. He was so touched by his gesture, that his eyes got just that bit watery and he was blushing a dark pink.

 

“I did it for you” was what Junhui didn’t find the courage to say, but Minghao’s reaction made him guess, that he had probably understood anyway. Junhui could read Minghao like an open book, and so did he. That was just one of the amazing sides of _them_.

 

“You’re unbelievable” Minghao whispered, no bite behind his words, just so much fondness he couldn’t even hide.

 

“What are you doing here?” Minghao finally asked. Don't take him wrong, he was more than happy to meet the guy he had been dreaming about for ages, but at the same time, everything was so fast and he didn’t know how to deal with it.

 

Junhui took a deep breath “After that time we fought” he started, trying to choose every word carefully “I realised it’s useless for me to get over you, just because we’re miles away from each other. I really wanted to meet you, not just behind a screen, before giving up” Junhui’s explained, watching attentively Minghao’s face and body language.

 

He was completely still, almost as if he was frozen. Inside Minghao's brain, even more questions popped up.

 

“Junhui, you know what happened. I can understand why you decided to come here, and I'm more than glad you did. I’ve always wanted to meet you” Minghao started after some seconds of silence.

 

Junhui was shining from happiness at the words. After all, he wanted to meet Minghao just as much.

 

“But” the younger continued, feeling guilty at the sudden lack of happiness on Junhui’s face “It doesn’t mean it will be any different once you go back to China. Let’s say we gave it a shot, then what? Something like last time happens because the distance between us is still there” Minghao said, his voice awfully sad and pained. He couldn’t handle another fight and the terrible feeling of being cheated on.

 

“It won’t. Please believe me, Hao. It won’t end up like last time” Junhui promised.

 

He dared to move his hands, after leaving the mug on the coffee table, on both sides of Minghao's neck, feeling the hot skin under his own. It was the first contact after the hug they shared outside and Junhui was hoping, with all he had, Minghao wouldn’t have rejected him. It didn't look like he wanted to.

 

“How would you know it?” Minghao whispered, afraid of ruining the atmosphere they created.

 

Without exactly meaning to, his eyes dropped on Junhui's lips, just a few inches away from his own. They looked so plump and soft, Minghao was tempted to lean in and feel them with his own. Junhui seemed to understand Minghao's inner troubles, his own eyes staring at the younger's lips, wanting to taste them. He leant in, his fingers now caressing Minghao’s cheeks. Everything felt like another world, something both of them had wanted for a long time, but never dared to act on.

 

Minghao was on the verge of giving in, finally connecting their lips, but then an unknown feeling made his way through his body. Everything was happening too quickly and Minghao wasn’t ready for it, not even a single bit. How was his supposed to know that, a long distance relationship, wasn't going to ruin everything like it had already done? He needed a moment to think it over and Junhui's intoxicating smell wasn't helping. 

 

So, he did the only thing he could think about. He panicked. It might have been one of the most stupid and reckless things he had ever done, but he did it anyway.

 

Minghao moved back, his hands gently pulling Junhui's away from his neck, standing up carefully, his eyes never meeting Junhui's again, staying instead glued to the floor. The older was panicking as well by that moment. He ruined it all, he knew Minghao needed time and instead he went there, basically forcing himself on him, wanting to prove feelings they already knew existed, but where to complicated to confess.

 

“Minghao, I'm sorry” Junhui said, standing up, reaching for the boy's hand, maybe not the right move. There had already been too many apologies from his part. Junhui was sick of hurting him.

 

“I- I have to go to practice” Minghao stuttered out, moving quickly around the house in order pack the few things he needed. Without another word, he left the apartment, living Junhui alone with his demons.

 

When the door slammed shut, he dared to look at the time on his phone, even if he had the feeling he already knew what had happened.

 

Minghao didn't start practice until five in the afternoon.

 

When the younger left the house, it was just three.

 

…..........................................................

 

Minghao was dancing is soul out, sweat running down his face, clothes sticking to his body in every way possible. He had run away, pretending practice was going to start when actually, all Minghao wanted to do, was go to his safe place, the dance studio, and take his mind away from everything else, besides the steps and the music of the new choreography he was learning.

 

The beat was slow, but the movements surely weren't. He let himself get lost into the song, moving his body around the empty room, not exactly following the perfect steps, just enjoying himself, dancing with all his strength. Dancing was the only thing that could help him calm down, when he wanted to disconnect from everything.

 

He realised that, leaving Junhui alone in his house, and mostly in a country where he couldn't do much with the little knowledge of the language he had, was an awful move, but being there, made him feel like he was suffocating. He liked Junhui, he really did, with all his being, but he needed time to think. He preferred making Junhui wait, than risking to lead him on. He knew the feeling and it wasn't something he wanted to be the cause of.

 

Minghao felt like he had been dancing for not more than a few minutes, but logically thinking, he realised he must had been there for over an hour. Just to make sure, as soon as the song he was currently dancing to finished, he went to his phone checking the time.

 

“It's half past four” a voice behind him said, making him jump on his feet, not expecting someone else in the room.

 

“Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you” Junhui said, leaning on the doorstep.

 

It could almost look like he was confident in being there, leaning so casually on the wall, like that was his own place. It could  _look_ like it, but for someone who knew him the way Minghao did, it wasn't hard to notice the tense line of his shoulders and the unsure tilt of his voice. Minghao turned around, watching him straight in the eyes.

 

“How long have you been there?” Minghao asked panting, his heart beating furiously from both the heavy dance session and maybe for Junhui's presence as well.

 

“Long enough to know you're really good. I've wanted to see you dance from the first time you told me about it” Junhui confessed, his words unsure, afraid of making Minghao run away again.

 

“Shut up” Minghao mumbled, his face flushing, this time for the compliment and not for the warmness of the room. Junhui flashed him a smile, still hesitant but there was something warm there. It made Minghao relax a bit, realising that, after all, Junhui was still there, looking for him, caring about him.

 

“You know, I'm starting to think you have some super powers made just to find me” Minghao said half jokingly, trying to light up the atmosphere and let Junhui know he wasn't angry at all. The older one laughed and the mood definitely changed. Minghao couldn't help but smile back at him.

 

“Your mum came home” Junhui started “and, after an awkward conversation about why there was a stranger in her living room, she told me where to find you” he finished explaining, chuckling recalling Minghao's mum's surprised expression seeing someone who wasn't her son sitting on the couch. Her reaction was even funnier when Junhui started talking to her in Chinese.

 

“God, I'll have to explain her a few things when were back” Minghao whined rather cutely. His mum didn't know anything about his long-distance friendship with Junhui, so, having him in her own house for a few days, was going to take a good amount of explanations.

 

“So, I'm allowed to stay?” Junhui guessed hopefully. With Minghao running away, a terrible doubt took place in his brain, deciding that maybe the younger wasn’t fine with them being that close any more.

 

“Of course you are” Minghao said sweetly, not even thinking about leaving Junhui alone again.

 

“Look, Minghao, I'm really sorry” he began, taking some steps closer, but still keeping a safe distance between them. “I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I just thought you wanted this as much as I did” he continued, feeling a slightly bit more confident seeing the fierce blush blossoming on Minghao's cheeks.

 

“I do want it” Minghao said, his shyness was still there but, this time, he held Junhui stare, knowing they were ending the story there “I want to be with you, Jun. I've liked you for months and I would have never even pictured you being actually here in flash, just to meet me” he continued, voicing all his feelings.

 

It was useless now to pretend there wasn't anything between them besides friendship. If they didn't talk it out now, Junhui would have made is way back to China, and the possibility to solve everything out, would have faded away with him.

 

“Then, what's the problem? Why can't you up open to me? Junhui asked, slightly exasperated.

 

If Minghao felt the same way and wanted something more from their friendship, why couldn't he let Junhui in?

 

“The problem is that neither of us can fight against distance. We had already tried, we confessed and days later we were already discussing because, you had a date with someone else, and I made out with people at a party. We were both wrong but we did it anyway” Minghao finally voiced his doubts, giving in to Junhui's expectant stare.

 

“How am I supposed to know it won't happen again? Not because of you, but because of me as well” he asked, looking straight at the older's eyes, focused on trying to make his point across.

 

“Why would we do it?” Junhui asked, knowing that Minghao wasn't even halfway done.

 

“I'm not saying I don't trust you. It's just that I'm scared of losing you because we aren't able to deal with the situation. Going through an argument again and ignoring each other for weeks, is not what I want for us” Minghao finished, rushing his words out in the hurry to confess everything and finally letting his emotions go.

 

Junhui dared to take a step closer, rising his hand to caress Minghao's cheek again.

 

“It's not going to be like last time” Junhui assured, looking directly in Minghao's eyes, trying to make him understand how sure of his words he was.

 

“You don't know that. You're going back to China I don't even know when, and neither of us know when we're going to meet again” Minghao said, but this time he didn’t shy away from the contact, he even leant in, giving in to the want to just be close.

 

“There's something I didn’t quite tell you, because I was scared of your reaction since you ran away” Junhui started, feeling just that bit more confident. At Minghao’s confused expression, he kept going, with shy little smile on his lips.

 

“I was planning on spending the summer here, if you’re okay with it” Junhui finally explained, enjoying maybe too much the surprised and hopeful glint in Minghao's eyes.

 

“What?” Minghao stupidly asked, fighting hard against the want to just throw himself in Junhui's arms again.

 

“Yeah, since I've all summer free, I was thinking about staying some moths here with you” Junhui explained, smiling warmly.

 

Minghao’s heart was beating like crazy and, to calm down, he put his head on Junhui's shoulder, closing his eyes and trying to take everything in. Junhui hugged him by the shoulders and this time, he didn't hesitate to wrap his arms tightly around Junhui’s waist, pulling him in a close embrace.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me anything?” Minghao whispered, pressing their bodies even closer. Even if Junhui couldn’t see him, he could feel the smile on his own skin.

 

“You freaking out didn't exactly seem the best moment to let you know about it” Junhui teased, knowing he could. The worst was over and, both of them knew that, everything between them was going to be just fine.

 

“Stop teasing, I panicked back there” Minghao complained, his voice taking that tone Junhui was so used to. It felt almost unreal to be there, doing what they should have done ages before.

 

“So if I kissed you right now, you wouldn't panic and run away again?” Junhui asked, his voice calm but with a slight hint of insecurity in it, scared Minghao was still not ready for it to happen.

 

No direct answer came but Minghao moved his head from where it was resting, to look closely at Junhui. Giving him time to move away if he really wanted to, Junhui moved closer, leaning his forehead on Minghao's. The younger didn’t reject his gesture and he was now staring at Junhui's lips once again, so close to his own. Junhui lost himself in the moment, nuzzling their noses together affectionately, their lips always close but never quite touching.

 

When, after a few seconds they did, fireworks seemed to explode inside Minghao’s heart. It was everything he had ever wanted, so familiar but so unknown at the same time. The kiss was not passionate, just a touch of lips between two boys finally allowing themselves to be happy. Junhui was the first one to pull back, giving them time to breath and realise what was happening. A wide smile appeared on his lips and Minghao couldn’t help but follow him. Their lips met again, this time a little more confidently. Junhui moved his hands on either side of Minghao's neck, his own fingers playing with the hair on Minghao's nape. On the other side, Minghao had never moved his arms from Junhui’s waist, using them now to pull on the other's sweatshirt, moving him closer. The kiss ended with both of them panting slightly at the lack of oxygen in their lungs.

 

“I’m proud to say I didn’t freak out” Minghao whispered, their foreheads touching again, both of them not wanting to have even a centimetre between their bodies.

 

Junhui laughed and packed his lips once again, just because he could. They stayed there, hugging and stealing small kisses here and there, until Minghao pulled away and, taking Junhui's hand in his own, he walked them out of the practice studio.

 

“Don’t you have practice in like half an hour?” Junhui’s asked, already knowing the answer, an amused expression on his face.

 

“Yeah, that’s why we’re leaving. I’ve got better things to do today. Besides, my mum is probably freaking out, we own her some explanations” Minghao said, their fingers intertwining along the way back to the dancer's home, where his mum was probably waiting for them, to understand who this guy was.

 

“Wait” Junhui stopped just outside of the building, where hours before he had been waiting for Minghao to come back.

 

“Can I be introduced as the boyfriend?” Junhui asked cheekily, loving too much the affect his words had on Minghao. Just as aspected, the younger blushed furiously and, mumbling something Junhui couldn’t quite understand, he pulled him inside, spotting his worried mother in the kitchen.

 

Even if their joined hands were probably a pretty straightforward explanation themselves, Junhui was indeed introduced as the boyfriend and the story of how they met began, this time knowing it was just the start of something special for both of them.

 

…..........................................................

 

“Come on, he is my best friend, you will meet him sooner or later anyway” Minghao said, pulling Junhui by their lanced hands.

 

The older, like he had promised, decided to spend his summer in Korea with his boyfriend, enjoying every second of the holiday and of the younger's presence. They fell in a routine almost too easily and Minghao was sometimes still surprised when, instead of going home after school and waiting for Junhui to call him, the older was actually there, in his own house, greeting him with soft kisses and warm cuddles.

 

Even if it was already his second visit to Korea, the first time he had been there, the short time of his staying didn’t allow them to do much more, besides staying in and being able to just be together. That’s why, when Junhui moved there for the summer, Minghao announced him Mingyu wanted to meet him.

 

“Come on, HaoHao. I don’t even know proper Korean to talk to him” Junhui whined, trying hard to get away from Minghao’s strong grip but the younger was still stronger. Damn martial arts.

 

“You do know some basics” he dead panned “and besides, I’m going to be there the whole time. He is not going to hurt you I promise” Minghao chuckled, amused at Junhui overreacting about someone as harmless as Mingyu.

 

“How do you know it?” Junhui countered, giving in to Minghao's strength and letting him carry him around.

 

“Because he is my best friend and I would kick his ass if he did anything to you” Minghao said, still very much amused at Junhui’s behaviour.

 

“I thought I was your best friend. I already don’t like this guy” he pouted, not meeting Minghao's eyes. He wasn't jealous, not all.

 

“You've already said that. If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t be here” Minghao reminded him, turning around. Seeing Junhui’s pout, he sighed, giving him a sweet peck on his lips. Junhui was surprised by the sudden gesture but he didn’t move away. When they parted, Junhui pout was totally gone and Minghao's lips formed a mischievous smirk.

 

“You’re cute when you’re jealous. Now, come on we’re here” Minghao said, interlacing their fingers again.

 

Before Junhui could even complain about not being jealous, he saw an awfully tall guy, making his way towards them. He recognised him as Mingyu, Minghao's best friend, by the way the younger waved at him.

 

The meeting went well. It was as awkward as first meetings always are, maybe more since Junhui couldn’t properly understand Korean, but he was at least lucky to have Minghao translating for him when he needed to. Junhui had to reluctantly admit Mingyu was a cool guy and Minghao was right, after all. If it wasn’t for him, they would have never been what they were at that point.

 

After an hour, they decided to part ways and Junhui was actually glad they had the opportunity to meet each other. That’s until Mingyu opened his mouth again.

 

“Hurt him again and I'll personally break your legs” Mingyu said directly at him, before waving them goodbye and turning away, like that was the most normal thing to say when leaving.

 

By Junhui's side, Minghao was groaning, mumbling something about his friend's stupidity, which sounded a lot like “ _Why am I friends with him_ ”.

 

“I’m not translating that for you” Minghao said, guessing Junhui’s silence meant he didn’t understand Mingyu's words. Junhui couldn’t be more glad he had started learning Korean because he indeed understood what Mingyu had said.

 

“You don’t need to” Junhui said, taking Minghao’s hand in his own and leading them to the cafe on the other side of the park, they attended almost every day.

 

Had he ever said he didn’t like that Mingyu guy at all?

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it.  
> If you did, please leave some kudos and comments.  
> You can find me on Twitter @Felixfrckls


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